Newborns and colostrum

[Dogsitterwoes]

I was wondering why there isn't much emphasis on colostrum for newborns?

Absolutely no judgement on any who do not breastfeed.

But, with livestock and other animals, colostrum is seen as so essential, like life or death essential, that newborn animals will be fed milked fresh colostrum or formula colostrum replacement, if it's not available from the mother.

With people, it's as though it's just unimportant watery stuff that's there until the proper milk comes in.

Are there colostrum formula powders for newborns? Is it seen as important? If not, why not?

I thought there was plenty of focus on colostrum when I had my baby. Also it’s yellow and thick so not sure where you’re getting unimportant watery stuff from.

Colostrum isn't watery.

And its not unimportant 🙄

Mine was never yellow just a random thing but then my milk was always "early" coming in properly due to never really drying up between babies?

Of course there isn't "colostrum formula." No man-made potion of chemicals could replicate it.

Maybe I want clear in my phrasing, sorry

I know it's very important.

I tripped over a bag of lambs colostrum replacement powder recently, and was wondering why it doesn't seem to be viewed as that important for human babies.

If a newborn can't be/isn't breastfeed, are they given a colostrum replacement or just straight on to milk formula? If not, why not, when it's deemed essential for other mammals?

I disagree it's seen as unimportant. There is a lot of online discussion about harvesting colostrum from week 36 onwards, and my midwife gave advice on how to do it.

I don’t think it’s seen as unimportant, but like you say in the farming world colostrum is considered so important that without it you’d expect a very poor outcome for the calf/lamb/whatever. The reason is because human babies have a basic but functioning immune system at birth, whereas the offspring of other mammals have no active immunity at birth. Human babies can survive without colostrum because of maternal transfer during pregnancy but other mammal young like calves and lambs do not get that maternal transfer so they rely on passive transfer until they develop an immune system around 2-4 weeks (and more for some parts) old.

@NoParticularPattern thanks for explaining, this is what I was wondering about. The 'why' on it not being essential.

There’s loads of emphasis on colostrum, I was encouraged to start harvesting it from 38 weeks ish and given syringes, leaflets etc as I had gestational diabetes and it can help stabilise babies blood sugars.

Imo it's always best to give baby colostrum. Even if you don't plan on breastfeeding.

I disagree that it isn’t seen as important, and I’d be surprised if a poster comes along to say they weren’t encouraged to try latching. Colostrum harvesting isn’t regarded as kooky by hospitals. I had a NICU baby and I found a lot of the nurses to be really ignorant or unsupportive about breastfeeding, but they were all super hot on the importance of colostrum.

@NoParticularPattern could you point me towards some literature / sources on that. I would have thought all mammals have some immunity cross the placenta. Would be fascinating to find out more.